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Werner Family Saga #1
Evergreen
Born into poverty and fear, Anna is desperate to leave her native Poland. Determined to make something of herself, Anna moves into a cramped New York slum and finds a job in a sweatshop. When two very different men fall in love with her, Anna is destined to be forever torn in love and loyalty.
698 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
631 people are currently reading
6442 people want to read
About the author
Belva Plain
144 books314 followersBelva Plain was a best-selling American author of mainstream women's fiction. Her first novel, Evergreen (1978) topped the New York Times bestseller list for 41 weeks and was made into a TV miniseries. At her death, there were over 30 million copies of her twenty-plus novels in print in 22 languages.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 387 reviews
December 12, 2018
I read this whole series back in the 80s and it made a big impression on me because of its description of the immigration process. It's been a very long time since I've read this, but I have a distinct memory of the main character wrapping up a set of silver candlesticks off the quaint kitchen table, the most valuable item the family owned- and leaving Poland for a better life. I also remember them toughing it out in New York under very hard and difficult conditions, making their own way financially. I picked this up on kindle when it was on sale months ago, and hope to delve into it again to see if I like it as much as I did then.
September 21, 2024
Beautiful re-read. When I first read it, a few years ago, I had planned on reading the rest in the series, which Id didn’t get to do. I decided to read this again, before slowly working my way through the rest in the series.
--
I never gave it much thought, but I now realize how much I love family sagas and a good story. This one completely enveloped me. I cared about the characters and felt that I knew them. Now that I’ve finished this book, I’m already missing the characters. Whatever I read next, will likely pale in comparison.
If you decide to read this, just one word of caution: do not get the Kindle version. The grammatical errors are annoying. Do yourself a favor and get the hard copy.
Some of my favorite quotes:
“Look out there at that sky, at that world with all the sparkle! It’s gorgeous, and you sit closed in here, mourning because it’s not exactly what you wanted! Do you think even lucky people ever get all of what they want? Who are you that you shouldn’t have a burden of some sort to carry, even one of your own making? So many of our burdens are of our own making, anyway.”
“I owe everything I am to this country that took me in. Fools like you who were lucky enough to have been born here don’t know how lucky you are.”
“It struck me funny that when we are poor in Europe we think only about getting to America so we can get rich enough to go back to Europe.”
“I stand and listen to people speaking French in the stores and on the street. It’s such a pert, crisp language, elegant as rustling taffeta. I wish I could speak it. Another one of my many wishes!”
“Do you know, if I could be reincarnated for a few days, I would like to be a countess or a princess in Vienna and go whirling in a marvelous white lace dress, waltzing under the crystal chandeliers. But only for a day or two. It must have been a very silly, useless life.”
“It’s true, Iris thought, the person who lives inside me and the person that other people see are not at all the same.”
“… people don’t like martyrs. You must learn to act, if you’re to save anything, including yourself. When you don’t feel joyous, pretend that you do. After a while you may actually start to feel that way.”
“The main thing is to live. Foster life. Cherish it. Plant flowers and if you can’t pull the weeds up, hide them.”
--
I never gave it much thought, but I now realize how much I love family sagas and a good story. This one completely enveloped me. I cared about the characters and felt that I knew them. Now that I’ve finished this book, I’m already missing the characters. Whatever I read next, will likely pale in comparison.
If you decide to read this, just one word of caution: do not get the Kindle version. The grammatical errors are annoying. Do yourself a favor and get the hard copy.
Some of my favorite quotes:
“Look out there at that sky, at that world with all the sparkle! It’s gorgeous, and you sit closed in here, mourning because it’s not exactly what you wanted! Do you think even lucky people ever get all of what they want? Who are you that you shouldn’t have a burden of some sort to carry, even one of your own making? So many of our burdens are of our own making, anyway.”
“I owe everything I am to this country that took me in. Fools like you who were lucky enough to have been born here don’t know how lucky you are.”
“It struck me funny that when we are poor in Europe we think only about getting to America so we can get rich enough to go back to Europe.”
“I stand and listen to people speaking French in the stores and on the street. It’s such a pert, crisp language, elegant as rustling taffeta. I wish I could speak it. Another one of my many wishes!”
“Do you know, if I could be reincarnated for a few days, I would like to be a countess or a princess in Vienna and go whirling in a marvelous white lace dress, waltzing under the crystal chandeliers. But only for a day or two. It must have been a very silly, useless life.”
“It’s true, Iris thought, the person who lives inside me and the person that other people see are not at all the same.”
“… people don’t like martyrs. You must learn to act, if you’re to save anything, including yourself. When you don’t feel joyous, pretend that you do. After a while you may actually start to feel that way.”
“The main thing is to live. Foster life. Cherish it. Plant flowers and if you can’t pull the weeds up, hide them.”
April 28, 2009
This is one of my favorite books of all time. My mother gave me a copy when I was a teenager and I stayed up late many nights reading under the covers long after I should have been asleep. It is a sweeping family saga full of characters you care about, and whom you will miss when you put this book back on the shelf. Anna, Paul and Joseph are real people with real flaws, a refreshing change from the perfect protagonists that Danielle Steele is famous for (and who happen to bug the heck out of me). A period novel rich in historical detail, reading it made me feel transported back a few decades and yet it never lost sight of the struggles and triumphs of the main characters; the historical details never overwhelmed them. This book was my introduction to Belva Plain, and I went on to read the two sequels to Evergreen (also fabulous) as well as nearly all of her other books. She is a compelling author and I've been hooked on her stories for years!
September 6, 2019
what an amazing book. really unputtdownable
highly recommended to everyone
This is a book you HAVE to read!
highly recommended to everyone
This is a book you HAVE to read!
February 16, 2015
There are books that may not be written with great 'literary' style, but which are nevertheless written with a talent for good, sincere storytelling. EVERGREEN is one such novel, and it belongs on a shelf with similar novels such as Colleen McCullough's THE THORN BIRDS and Rosamund Pilcher's THE SHELL SEEKERS, wonderfully entertaining family sagas spanning generations and often continents as well, peopled with colorful characters and chronicling the universal joys and sorrows of life.
There are two scenes in EVERGREEN which are particularly well-written, with great emotional depth. They are among the best such scenes in modern popular fiction, and I re-read with great pleasure from time to time. The first is when the young Jewish immigrant Anna Friedman, troubled with a guilty secret she can share with no one, finds some solace in what is for her an unlikely place, yet which seems the only way open to her: a church, where she unburdens herself to a priest. The other scene occurs late in the novel, when a much-older Anna has a brief reunion with the man she has always loved but couldn't marry (and who, of course, doesn't know about Anna's guilty secret).
02/16/15: During the past three or four years I re-read both THE THORN BIRDS and THE SHELL SEEKERS and enjoyed them very much all over again. I've just started re-reading EVERGREEN.
There are two scenes in EVERGREEN which are particularly well-written, with great emotional depth. They are among the best such scenes in modern popular fiction, and I re-read with great pleasure from time to time. The first is when the young Jewish immigrant Anna Friedman, troubled with a guilty secret she can share with no one, finds some solace in what is for her an unlikely place, yet which seems the only way open to her: a church, where she unburdens herself to a priest. The other scene occurs late in the novel, when a much-older Anna has a brief reunion with the man she has always loved but couldn't marry (and who, of course, doesn't know about Anna's guilty secret).
02/16/15: During the past three or four years I re-read both THE THORN BIRDS and THE SHELL SEEKERS and enjoyed them very much all over again. I've just started re-reading EVERGREEN.
November 30, 2011
I could see why some might like this. Sometimes you're in the mood for a long trashy wallow, and this could deliver it. Here you have nearly 700 pages of eye-straining small font about a Polish Jew, Anna, who comes to America not long after the turn of the 20th Century in the years before World War I. She starts out living with her cousin on Hester street, and I imagine many might have seen the stories of their own grandmothers and great-grandmothers in Anna when this was published. I can understand why it became a bestseller. I certainly found the glimpses of Old New York and its neighborhoods, of the struggle to survive and rise out of poverty interesting. It's not so much the story or the character which didn't engage me, it was the style that put me off. Belva Plain's writing struck me as clunky. (Joseph's mother spoke comfort. "Why, you can hardly walk!" Ruth cried, becoming aware.) Seven hundred pages in that kind of font means over 14 hours of reading, and by the time I got to page 100, I knew I didn't want to make that investment.
September 5, 2013
EVERGREEN
Belva Plain
I'm not quite sure how I become obsessed with reviewing the "Golden Oldies"! But, I'm definitely hooked, so you can bear with me or ignore me.
EVERGREEN is a modern classic saga of the courageous immigrants who faced gigantic odds and came to America. Anna Friedman transfixes us with her passion, determination and passion. She and her family survive war, tragedy, secrets and forbidden love, bittersweet and evergreen.
A beautifully written book with a magnificent story that sweeps you away with the history, the finely etched characters and great romance.
Belva Plain
I'm not quite sure how I become obsessed with reviewing the "Golden Oldies"! But, I'm definitely hooked, so you can bear with me or ignore me.
EVERGREEN is a modern classic saga of the courageous immigrants who faced gigantic odds and came to America. Anna Friedman transfixes us with her passion, determination and passion. She and her family survive war, tragedy, secrets and forbidden love, bittersweet and evergreen.
A beautifully written book with a magnificent story that sweeps you away with the history, the finely etched characters and great romance.
July 7, 2018
One of the best books I ever read. I sobbed my heart out in parts and was so angry in others. A book that really plays on the emotions. Even though it would be regarded as an old book now it's still well worth a read.
December 10, 2017
I remember sitting on a couch by the fire in a cabin up at Lake Tahoe reading this book, for I had been asked to come along with a family in order to baby-sit their children.
It was a generational book that I picked up after reading “The Thorn Birds.” I loved it just as much, and that is all I recall, and I probably remember it because I also loved being in a cabin in the snow.
It was a generational book that I picked up after reading “The Thorn Birds.” I loved it just as much, and that is all I recall, and I probably remember it because I also loved being in a cabin in the snow.
November 29, 2020
He thought: now, now I am falling asleep. Keen thought lost its edge;his mind began to float in a lustrous mist, a wash of shifting shapes and color,red ovoids, lavender spirals, columns of cream and silver rising like smoke. Then a curtain fell, dark foliage of dreams, and through the ducky green a spray of gilded dots, confetti dots.
We are driven by random winds, blown and crushed under passing wheels, or lifted to a garden in the sun. And for no reason at all, that anyone can see.
It is said that time is merciful and that is true. The first mad anguish fades to heavy sorrow, and after a long while, into a soft weakness of tears that can be blinked away before anyone sees. But not always.
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. Separate from the other unnamed billions who walk the earth,each of these little groups of three or five or twelve, brought together by the shuffle of chance, then welded by blood, sees in itself the whole of earth, or all that matters of it. What happens to one of the three or five or twelve will happen to them all. Whatever grief or triumph may touch any one of will touch everyone, as they are carried forward into the unknowable under the brilliant, terrifying sun which nourishes all.
This book was just beautiful.
And it’s absolutely a book that I actually find myself revisiting time and time again. In a way, it feels like this story feels heartwarming and like home, where you can always return to. Because home is where the heart is. And a heart is true.
Full of lush descriptions, I felt transported back to New York. If I wanted to run away from where I was, all I simply had to do was pick up this book and open the pages. The history period, World War I, the Great Depression. All of it was well done. The main characters trying to survive, experiencing death, heartbreak, love and happiness.
The main protagonist Anna, has won my heart over and over again. I can’t forget her. She’s so vivid, so real. All her emotions and feelings, rushed over you in waves. You could relate to her struggles, because her character felt true.
The book is told in different perspectives from different family members, but Anna lays at the heart of the story as the central character.
And the other characters, I rooted for them and wanted to see them through. The whole family felt alive and full of love, you wanted to join right in. The dreams of a person coming to America to make their fortunes and find their destiny.
We are driven by random winds, blown and crushed under passing wheels, or lifted to a garden in the sun. And for no reason at all, that anyone can see.
It is said that time is merciful and that is true. The first mad anguish fades to heavy sorrow, and after a long while, into a soft weakness of tears that can be blinked away before anyone sees. But not always.
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. Separate from the other unnamed billions who walk the earth,each of these little groups of three or five or twelve, brought together by the shuffle of chance, then welded by blood, sees in itself the whole of earth, or all that matters of it. What happens to one of the three or five or twelve will happen to them all. Whatever grief or triumph may touch any one of will touch everyone, as they are carried forward into the unknowable under the brilliant, terrifying sun which nourishes all.
This book was just beautiful.
And it’s absolutely a book that I actually find myself revisiting time and time again. In a way, it feels like this story feels heartwarming and like home, where you can always return to. Because home is where the heart is. And a heart is true.
Full of lush descriptions, I felt transported back to New York. If I wanted to run away from where I was, all I simply had to do was pick up this book and open the pages. The history period, World War I, the Great Depression. All of it was well done. The main characters trying to survive, experiencing death, heartbreak, love and happiness.
The main protagonist Anna, has won my heart over and over again. I can’t forget her. She’s so vivid, so real. All her emotions and feelings, rushed over you in waves. You could relate to her struggles, because her character felt true.
The book is told in different perspectives from different family members, but Anna lays at the heart of the story as the central character.
And the other characters, I rooted for them and wanted to see them through. The whole family felt alive and full of love, you wanted to join right in. The dreams of a person coming to America to make their fortunes and find their destiny.
April 30, 2023
Personal Challenge - read books written prior to 1999 - Book #1
Year written: 1978
I've read Evergreen many years ago. Although I couldn't remember what it was about, I remembered loving this novel. Well, fast forward many years later, and I still love it. I enjoyed this very much. If you're looking for a beautiful story to get lost in, this is it. I gave this 5* for the first read, but giving it 4* for the second, because there are some parts that were a bit slow. However, I loved all the characters, the timeline, and the NYC setting.
Year written: 1978
I've read Evergreen many years ago. Although I couldn't remember what it was about, I remembered loving this novel. Well, fast forward many years later, and I still love it. I enjoyed this very much. If you're looking for a beautiful story to get lost in, this is it. I gave this 5* for the first read, but giving it 4* for the second, because there are some parts that were a bit slow. However, I loved all the characters, the timeline, and the NYC setting.
July 7, 2011
I just loved this book. The characters were so real to me and getting to know each of them made me want to know more about them.
Anna, yearning for a more and better life, flees Poland to go to America. She comes to New York and moves in to live with cousin Ruth and husband, Solly Levinson, 4 children and 6 boarders. She worked sewing to make a living. She went to a school to learn more and met a wonderful teacher, Ms. Thorne. Becoming restless with sewing, Anna found a job as a maid in the home of the Werner family. Here she became accustomed to a room and bath to herself. "What luxury!"
Anna met a nice young fella, Joseph Friedman, who she would sit on the stoop with and talk of the future. They took many walks. However, Anna became infatuated with Paul Werner and he did encourage this somewhat. Finding out that he was to be married to another, she quit her position with the Werner family.
Joseph Friedman was enhanced with Anna and asked him to marry. She said "yes, Joseph, I will marry you."
The life of Joseph and Anna Friedman was hard at first. Joseph plodded along with his dreams and became fruitful and wealthy.
You must read this book to see how the Friedman's life evolved. It was a hard book to put down at times. You will enjoy this story as I did.
Anna, yearning for a more and better life, flees Poland to go to America. She comes to New York and moves in to live with cousin Ruth and husband, Solly Levinson, 4 children and 6 boarders. She worked sewing to make a living. She went to a school to learn more and met a wonderful teacher, Ms. Thorne. Becoming restless with sewing, Anna found a job as a maid in the home of the Werner family. Here she became accustomed to a room and bath to herself. "What luxury!"
Anna met a nice young fella, Joseph Friedman, who she would sit on the stoop with and talk of the future. They took many walks. However, Anna became infatuated with Paul Werner and he did encourage this somewhat. Finding out that he was to be married to another, she quit her position with the Werner family.
Joseph Friedman was enhanced with Anna and asked him to marry. She said "yes, Joseph, I will marry you."
The life of Joseph and Anna Friedman was hard at first. Joseph plodded along with his dreams and became fruitful and wealthy.
You must read this book to see how the Friedman's life evolved. It was a hard book to put down at times. You will enjoy this story as I did.
November 12, 2010
I started reading this book because I got the book "Complete Idiot's Guide The Ultimate Reading List". It was the first book on the Popular fiction list. I vaguely remembered seeing it before but it looked like my kind of book - big, juicy, multi-generational saga.
It is. Following Anna as she grows up in Europe, comes to America, and has the whole immigrant experience. Living in the poor Jewish section of New York, going to work as a maid in a wealthy household (attracting the attention of the son of the family), marrying a good, Jewish boy and living through the trials and tribulations of the twentieth century.
As is usual with this genre of literature, it drags a little by the end. The succeeding generations are never as interesting as the first generation we read about. Once the grandparents have struggled to succeed and the grandchildren have been brought up in the lap of luxury, the interest pales. The younger generations are reliably boring and unappreciative of the sacrifice of the older folks. I understand there are three more books in the series about this family - I think I'll visit them again.
It is. Following Anna as she grows up in Europe, comes to America, and has the whole immigrant experience. Living in the poor Jewish section of New York, going to work as a maid in a wealthy household (attracting the attention of the son of the family), marrying a good, Jewish boy and living through the trials and tribulations of the twentieth century.
As is usual with this genre of literature, it drags a little by the end. The succeeding generations are never as interesting as the first generation we read about. Once the grandparents have struggled to succeed and the grandchildren have been brought up in the lap of luxury, the interest pales. The younger generations are reliably boring and unappreciative of the sacrifice of the older folks. I understand there are three more books in the series about this family - I think I'll visit them again.
June 3, 2009
Okay, so when I first started this book I thought it would be an epic about the courage and spirit that comes shining through as people face the hardships that life has to offer. As it turned out it is not all that deep and has a real soap opera feel to it. Yuck, disappointment abounds. Slam! (that was the book closing in frustration) No I am not finishing it. It is a waste of time and there are good things to read all around. So it is onward for me.
July 9, 2013
Belva Plain has been one of my favorite authors since my teenage years.
After reading this book again...I remembered why Belva Plain is one of my favorite authors. I HAD to get her ENTIRE collection, and read them all again, start to finish.
This one starts Anna's life/journey. Her parents migrate to the USA for a better life. The book follows her throughout her life. Her love and family bond is the most important thing to her. She'll do ANYTHING to protect it. She falls in love with a rich man, and know it isn't going to be possible for them to be together, so she marries and has a family and LIFETIME with a man she knows will always take care of her, but she isn't 'in love' with. Fantastic story.
After reading this book again...I remembered why Belva Plain is one of my favorite authors. I HAD to get her ENTIRE collection, and read them all again, start to finish.
This one starts Anna's life/journey. Her parents migrate to the USA for a better life. The book follows her throughout her life. Her love and family bond is the most important thing to her. She'll do ANYTHING to protect it. She falls in love with a rich man, and know it isn't going to be possible for them to be together, so she marries and has a family and LIFETIME with a man she knows will always take care of her, but she isn't 'in love' with. Fantastic story.
June 18, 2012
I selected this book based on the Goodreads recommendation as a Family Saga. Many things about this book are similar to The Thornbirds. I love sweeping stories that cover long periods of time, like ...And Ladies of the Club, Gone With the Wind, The Thornbirds, Roots, As the Crow Flies, and The House of the Spirits. While I definitely enjoyed this book, any of the aforementioned titles are more substantial and riveting reading along the same lines. Evergreen is easy to read, entertaining, but fairly forgettable.
August 13, 2008
This is a beautiful story about family and generations of family, of loss of life and bringing new life to the world. It's romance, historical, literary, and all of the above, all wrapped up in this long book, which took me 2 1/2 days. A great read! I believe I saw the TV mini-series of this long time ago.
June 21, 2016
Remains a good read.
December 28, 2022
i finished it in august but haven’t updated it. i was distraught. the story was so good but i think the ending could have been better. overall i really liked it and will defiantly read again.
May 4, 2021
While tracing events from one century to another and from Poland to New York, with a side trip to Israel we become witness to the births and deaths of generations of one family and watch them love and die and try to make sense of changes. Although she is a minor character, I could best relate to the musings of Iris who always felt she didn't belong but who discovered herself as she aged.
This book was chosen by my book club and when I saw its size I was confident I would only read the first and last chapters but I was drawn in immediately and didn't want to miss anything. Plain captures an entire lifetime in the depiction of one otherwise insignificant scene. Circumstances and incidents of history determine the direction of the characters.
322 It's all thrown dice, my darling Anna.
341 We are driven by random winds, blown and crushed under passing shells, or lifted to a garden in the sun. And for no reason at all, that anyone can see.
415 A stranger falls on the ice on a winter's night and half a dozen lived are changed.
482 We are all so interwoven.
I've given the book 5 stars for Plain's ability to capture a plausible history of several generations that fits well according to my understanding of history of Europe and America over the years. I could easily take a star away for the implausible soap opera elements in the lives of these characters. Only Anna and Joseph's love seemed real to me; the other couples love stories were bothersome because too instantaneous and unreal, but history is the main character of this book and it is fully imagined.
519 mention of differences between Europe and America regarding attitudes about the beauty of the face
This book was chosen by my book club and when I saw its size I was confident I would only read the first and last chapters but I was drawn in immediately and didn't want to miss anything. Plain captures an entire lifetime in the depiction of one otherwise insignificant scene. Circumstances and incidents of history determine the direction of the characters.
322 It's all thrown dice, my darling Anna.
341 We are driven by random winds, blown and crushed under passing shells, or lifted to a garden in the sun. And for no reason at all, that anyone can see.
415 A stranger falls on the ice on a winter's night and half a dozen lived are changed.
482 We are all so interwoven.
I've given the book 5 stars for Plain's ability to capture a plausible history of several generations that fits well according to my understanding of history of Europe and America over the years. I could easily take a star away for the implausible soap opera elements in the lives of these characters. Only Anna and Joseph's love seemed real to me; the other couples love stories were bothersome because too instantaneous and unreal, but history is the main character of this book and it is fully imagined.
519 mention of differences between Europe and America regarding attitudes about the beauty of the face
May 3, 2012
I recall reading this book as a young teenager and I distinctly remember being captivated by it. Fast forward a few years (ahem...decades) and I'm having a hard time seeing just what was so captivating about this story. I got about 1/2 or 2/3 through before this one landed in the "life's too short" category and I moved on to more interesting selections on my to-read list.
I'm usually a real sucker for multigenerational sagas and Evergreen has a great, if slightly overdone, premise (of course, this was written quite a while ago, so the story line might have been a bit fresher then). It's a rags-to-riches story of young immigrants from war-torn eastern Europe who come to America. In essence, I had two major problems with Evergreen that led me to abandon the book. I never really connected with any of the characters, except maybe for the main character's daughter. Worse, it felt like just a rambling diary entry-like dry retelling of "this happened and then that happened". While there was some interpersonal conflict, the overall story really had none, making it all to easy to put down, which I ultimately did.
I'm usually a real sucker for multigenerational sagas and Evergreen has a great, if slightly overdone, premise (of course, this was written quite a while ago, so the story line might have been a bit fresher then). It's a rags-to-riches story of young immigrants from war-torn eastern Europe who come to America. In essence, I had two major problems with Evergreen that led me to abandon the book. I never really connected with any of the characters, except maybe for the main character's daughter. Worse, it felt like just a rambling diary entry-like dry retelling of "this happened and then that happened". While there was some interpersonal conflict, the overall story really had none, making it all to easy to put down, which I ultimately did.
November 7, 2015
3.5 stars. This 700 page saga started off great. We learn of Anna who is Polish and who has heard of America (yeah i know, the age old tale of the last 100 years) and after losing both her parents and a couple of siblings she does make it there. She stays with a cousin and works for a rich family and meets Paul. But at the same time she's also dating a guy named Joseph.
She marries Joseph and starts a family but had a definite thing for Paul. She runs into him when she went to ask to borrow money from her old employer and basically they got it on and next thing she knows she's pregnant.
That part was readable.
But the book goes on great lengths of other people who are sort of important but could have been edited down maybe to 400 pages instead.
My eyes glazed over the last 100. It rattled on.
But I did like it. I liked most of the book so i stuck with it; enough to that I requested the second in the series from paperbackswap. I think i was just too excited to read House is Fucking Burning so i wanted to rush the end.
She marries Joseph and starts a family but had a definite thing for Paul. She runs into him when she went to ask to borrow money from her old employer and basically they got it on and next thing she knows she's pregnant.
That part was readable.
But the book goes on great lengths of other people who are sort of important but could have been edited down maybe to 400 pages instead.
My eyes glazed over the last 100. It rattled on.
But I did like it. I liked most of the book so i stuck with it; enough to that I requested the second in the series from paperbackswap. I think i was just too excited to read House is Fucking Burning so i wanted to rush the end.
August 15, 2013
One of my all-time favorite family sagas!!
We follow Anna as young girl in Poland to the US and through her long life. As time passes, you meet many different family members and get to live their experiences as well. I didn't always agree with their choices, but I thoroughly enjoyed the journey! Although this is a novel, it has some deep and insightful writing. I often found myself identifying with the thoughts and feelings of the characters. I've read this book several times, and each time I have loved it. It's not a "literary" type book, but if you want to read a novel that will keep you wanting more, read this!
We follow Anna as young girl in Poland to the US and through her long life. As time passes, you meet many different family members and get to live their experiences as well. I didn't always agree with their choices, but I thoroughly enjoyed the journey! Although this is a novel, it has some deep and insightful writing. I often found myself identifying with the thoughts and feelings of the characters. I've read this book several times, and each time I have loved it. It's not a "literary" type book, but if you want to read a novel that will keep you wanting more, read this!
February 9, 2012
This is one of my favorite books of all time. I stumbled upon this book as a teenager and stayed up many a nights to complete this book. It is one of those books that I come back to time & again. The characters are some that you end up caring about deeply ~ read this book - you will understand my stance!
September 8, 2012
Really didn't enjoy this book. It was one of the few books that I had read over 75% of it and almost didn't finish it. After I finished it I wish I hadn't wasted my time. The story seemed to drag on and on
March 29, 2017
Evergreen is one of my favorite books I have read. It was made into a movie a few years ago. I will pick it up and read it every once in awhile.
April 12, 2018
Family sagas always makes for good reading. This one was not an exception. Evergreen is a big novel which is written in the backdrop of world war II. The characters are immigrants who have settled in America with a view of creating for themselves a better life. Anna Friedman is one of those people. Joseph Friedman is another. They meet in America where they fall in love and get married. In the picture, is an American known as Paul. Anna meets him while working as a maid in his mother's house. They have a very brief relationship but the man is afraid to profess his love to her due to the class and racial differences. Consequently, they part ways.
After marrying Joseph, Anna bears two children. One child, the boy Maury, is fathered by Joseph while the second girl, Iris, is fathered by Paul. She loves them both and it kills her inside to have to keep such a heavy secret. Everyday she lives is another day she has to lie to all her family. Her children grows up and as days go by life in the Friedman family improves financially. Socially, things are different. Jews are discriminated against and this is exacerbated by Hitler's reign in Germany. So, when Maury falls in love with an American, the Friedman's do not approve of it. Likewise, the girl's daughter do not approve of the union. The couple is forced to elope where they struggle to earn a living and survive without any family or friends. Life drives Maury to join a criminal syndicate which eventually leads to him nearly loosing his life after being shot by rival gangs.
Tragedy forces the Friedman's family together again if only but briefly. Their strong views and hatred towards their sons choice in marriage is something they are unable to bear even during these very difficult times. So, they quarrel with their son over the same. Maury's wife overhears their conversation and gets offended. They leave together with her husband and that is the last time the Friedman's will see their son. Next, they receive news of his and his death.
Things happen very fast in the Friedma's house. Secrets of long gone mistakes resurfaces. The parents are faced with the bitter choice of telling the truth or sticking with the lies. This is a book to read and to re-read for those who loves family sagas. Especially, if you enjoyed the thorn birds.
After marrying Joseph, Anna bears two children. One child, the boy Maury, is fathered by Joseph while the second girl, Iris, is fathered by Paul. She loves them both and it kills her inside to have to keep such a heavy secret. Everyday she lives is another day she has to lie to all her family. Her children grows up and as days go by life in the Friedman family improves financially. Socially, things are different. Jews are discriminated against and this is exacerbated by Hitler's reign in Germany. So, when Maury falls in love with an American, the Friedman's do not approve of it. Likewise, the girl's daughter do not approve of the union. The couple is forced to elope where they struggle to earn a living and survive without any family or friends. Life drives Maury to join a criminal syndicate which eventually leads to him nearly loosing his life after being shot by rival gangs.
Tragedy forces the Friedman's family together again if only but briefly. Their strong views and hatred towards their sons choice in marriage is something they are unable to bear even during these very difficult times. So, they quarrel with their son over the same. Maury's wife overhears their conversation and gets offended. They leave together with her husband and that is the last time the Friedman's will see their son. Next, they receive news of his and his death.
Things happen very fast in the Friedma's house. Secrets of long gone mistakes resurfaces. The parents are faced with the bitter choice of telling the truth or sticking with the lies. This is a book to read and to re-read for those who loves family sagas. Especially, if you enjoyed the thorn birds.
May 7, 2022
This is a great read. It follows Anna's life from a young age until she is an old lady. She establishes a family with her husband, Joseph and throughout the next couple generations she is the well loved matriarch of the family. They arrive in New York from Europe in the early 1900s as poor immigrants, accumulate wealth, lose it in the market crash in the 30s and regain their wealth after the 2nd world war. The family goes through much heartache and loss over the years. They are a Jewish family and one of the hardest losses is watching the kids and grandkids growing up turning away from the Jewish faith. I found it an honest and realistic account of the Friedman family.
March 3, 2022
"Бессмертник" это семейная сага. Рассказывается о жизни женщины еврейки с самого ее рождения и до смерти. Она рождается в маленькой деревни в Польше, проходит через смерть родителей в раннем возрасте, иммиграцию в Амереку, полную нищету, потом богатство, Великую Депрессию, Вторую Мировую Войну и т.д.
Книга затянула так, что я проглотила 800 страниц за неделю и еще долго смаковала послевкусие.
Очень понравился стиль написания автора. Книга читается легко, но при этом испытываешь весь спектр эмоций.
Если хочется выпать из реальности, то обратите внимание на этот роман.
Книга затянула так, что я проглотила 800 страниц за неделю и еще долго смаковала послевкусие.
Очень понравился стиль написания автора. Книга читается легко, но при этом испытываешь весь спектр эмоций.
Если хочется выпать из реальности, то обратите внимание на этот роман.
May 28, 2020
I am going through old books and found this one. I read this so long, but remember really enjoying it. I love good historical fiction. However, I also know that many of these older books have a lot of misogyny regardless of how brave the women act and that (and so many other yet-to-be-read books) keeps me from rereading it, at least for now.
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